By Rhapsodi Affos Blog RAB 

Alleged ghost workers in Taraba State, comprising both Christians and Muslims, on Sunday converged at Great Gospel Ministries International, a church owned by the Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, to seek divine intervention over their prolonged unpaid salaries.

The affected workers, many of whom said they were attending the church for the first time, explained that their decision to resort to prayer followed months of frustration after exhausting nearly all available options, including social media advocacy, peaceful protests, and appeals to key stakeholders, without any breakthrough.

They said they believed that their presence at the church might help touch the heart of the governor to urgently intervene in their matter.

During the service, the workers joined the fellowship and were asked to fill out first-timers’ forms. Several of them, when requested to state their prayer points, reportedly wrote that God should touch the heart of His Excellency, Dr. Agbu Kefas, to pay their salaries.

Earlier this year, Governor Kefas inaugurated a verification and screening committee to sanitize the state payroll. The exercise reportedly identified about 7,000 persons as ghost workers, a development that later triggered protests in late October and early November after many affected workers complained of over four months of unpaid salaries.



Recall that Rhapsodi Affos Blog (RAB) had earlier reported that at the height of the protests, the governor assured the aggrieved workers that all those legitimately employed would be verified and paid, adding that even those whose employment status was initially disputed would be reviewed and treated fairly.

Following the exercise, the committee reportedly cleared 1,410 workers, who were paid four months outstanding salaries, while the remaining one month arrears was settled later. Discrepancies were said to have emerged between the committee and the Office of the Accountant-General, Mr. Gaius Danjuma, but the issues were later resolved.

Workers who were not paid were subsequently asked to undergo another round of screening for possible reabsorption into the system. However, the screening, which was expected to last one week, reportedly extended beyond two weeks, raising fresh concerns.

As of now, many of the affected workers say they have been unpaid for five months, a situation they say has plunged them into severe financial hardship, forcing them to move from one debt to another.

Speaking on behalf of the workers, the Chairman of the Alleged Ghost Workers Forum, Abdulreff Sani, has repeatedly appealed to Governor Kefas to urgently come to their aid, noting that many of his colleagues are battling accumulated loans and growing financial pressure.

With Christmas only days away, fears are mounting that the workers may go through the festive period without salaries. However, checks by Rhapsodi Affos Blog (RAB) indicate that the governor is currently in the state and is expected to attend to the matter, raising cautious optimism among the affected workers that he will keep to his word.